The Ryder Cup gets under way at the Medinah course outside Chicago and will dominate sporting interest over the next three days.  Europe head into the competition with a strong recent record and with four of the top five world ranked players on the team.
The event will be one of the largest of the year in terms of corporate entertainment and carries a long list of official partners from BMW, Rolex, Emirates, Ernst and Young and Jonnie Walker on the European side alone.
The event is celebrating its 30th outing this year having come to life in the early part of the last century but only formally being recognised when British Seed merchant Samuel Ryder offered to put up a trophy for what was gaining credibility as a regular match at the time between professional golfers from the US and Britain.
Sponsorship has always played an important if understated role with the travel expenses of the first British team to travel to the US in 1927 covered in part by gifts donated by readers of Golf Illustrated magazine.
The tables turned in terms of success when Britain expanded to become team Europe in 1979.  Since then Europe have won eight times, the USA seven and one was tied.
The competition gets under way at 0720 local time, 1220 BST today and will benefit from the key moments being played out through prime time coverage over the weekend.
Recent history though suggests that the key games will be the first, and that Irish golfers will play a key role.  In four of the last five tournaments the side that has led at the end of the first session has gone on to win the trophy.
This morning’s first match pitches Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell against the in form Brandt Snedeker and Jim Furyk.
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